AUSTIN, Texas -- A rush by public transit agencies to seek exemptions from the new federal charter service rules, so they can provide special-event transportation, has triggered a swift response from the motorcoach industry.

The United Motorcoach Association and several of its strategic partners have quickly organized a summit with the Federal Transit Administration that will give motorcoach operators an opportunity to learn what they need to do so they dont lose charter work.

"This is a very pivotal meeting for motorcoach operators on what is going to happen in the future," said UMA Vice President Ken Presley of the summit that will be May 6 in Austin.

He said if private operators are not up to speed on the new rules that took effect April 30, then they are almost certain to miss opportunities for charters, including numerous potentially lucrative special events.

The meeting will be from 1 to 5 p.m. at the downtown Hilton Austin and is expected to draw more than 50 operators, most of them from states in the South and Southwest where its possible to fly in and fly out the same day.

Industry executives will conduct the first half of the meeting and the FTA will present during the second half.

Austin was selected as the meeting site because FTA officials will be attending an American Public Transportation Association meeting there at the same time, according to FTA spokesman Paul Griffo.

"We will be presenting at the APTA Bus and Paratransit Conference and weve added a private meeting because those operators need to understand the rules as well," he said. "We hope to avoid frivolous complaints by providing these sessions."

Presley said he and others are concerned about the number of requests for exemptions to the new charter service rules filed by public transit agencies wanting to handle shuttles and other transportation work for special events.

The FTA said it received about two dozen exemption requests during the run-up to the rules becoming effective. Reasons for the requests ranged from private motorcoach companies not having enough time to prepare for an event to not having the right type of coaches to handle the job.

Without an exemption, a transit agency would have to offer the charter work to the private industry before it could consider doing the work itself.

Presley acknowledged that it appears not enough motorcoach companies are getting involved in special event work, a situation that could influence the FTA to grant exemptions. "The FTA needs to see a robust response and many more operators need to step up to the plate," he emphasized.

Among the reasons cited for private operators not being as involved in major special events as they might be is that some of them dont yet fully understand what it takes to get that type of work.

Presley said private companies do mostly charter work and some are not generally accustomed to getting involved early on in special events and attending the many planning meetings that take place long before the events are held. "It requires a great deal of planning, interacting with security, with communications and many others," he noted.

UMA, he said, is trying to educate operators in that area.

Presley said the FTA is providing operators an unprecedented opportunity to meet face-to-face with industry regulators at the summit. "FTA desires to understand our business better," he stressed. "This is your opportunity to tell the FTA, Yes, I want this charter business and it belongs with the private bus and motorcoach operators," he added.

UMAs partners in the effort include Trailways, the American Bus Association and the International Motor Coach Group.

Operators with questions about the summit should direct e-mails to kpresley@uma.org.